The Blade Criterion 4K UHD Review
“The Blade” is choppy, but action packed.
Written and directed by Tsui Hark (best known for the first 3 Once Upon A Time In China films), “The Blade” is a 1995 Hong Kong wuxia/romance film. The story begins with a blacksmith’s daughter (Ling) attempting to woo two blacksmiths (Ding On and Tietou) that work under her father. She likes getting attention from both and wants them to fight for her attention. Everything falls apart, however, when Ding On learns that his father was killed by an assassin named Feilong. He vows to get revenge for his father and wishes to use his broken sword as the tool. After saving Ling from bandits, Ding On has his arm cut off and falls off a cliff. He manages to survive and is healed by Heitou (whom he falls in love with). Ling and Teitou, meanwhile, attempt to search for Ding On. Ding On thinks his revenge quest is over, but after some training he discovers his disability will not get in the way of his revenge.
Despite being an influential Hong Kong martial arts film, “The Blade” is a bit of a mess. The storytelling is clunky, the editing is choppy, and Tsui Hark’s directorial style (while intense and in your face) is frequently dizzying. The plethora of close-ups and flashy cuts make you feel like you’re in the action, but you also desperately wish he would pull back the camera a bit just to let scenes breathe more. This directorial choice does work in Hark’s favor in the end though during the wild, spin filled showdown between Ding On and Feilong. It’s the clear highlight here.
On the subject of the action, it will definitely please wuxia and Hong Kong cinema fans. Viewers can expect plenty of bear traps, beat downs, and sword fights (including one with Ding On on fire). Outside of the action, the predictable revenge tale underwhelms. It’s vague, lacking depth, and the romantic angle feels undercooked. The film also suffers from a lack of star power. Tsui Hark collaborated with the likes of Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Sammo Hung and the film could have used a big star. Vincent Zhao, Moses Chan, and Song Lei are serviceable, but the dramatic elements left a lot to be desired. It needed a bigger star to anchor the narrative and hook the viewer.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p. How does it look? “The Blade” has been given a 4K digital restoration and is presented in Dolby Vision HDR. The image quality is improved and the print maintains the print grain. Fans will be pleased by the results.
Audio Track: Original Cantonese and English-Dubbed Mono. How do they sound? The sharper Cantonese track is the way to go here. The English dub is too soft for my liking.
Extras:
* Blu-ray copy
* English-dubbed trailer
* A new commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert/producer Frank Djeng.
* International opening and end credits.
* A booklet with an essay by screenwriter/author Lisa Morton.
* An 11 minute 2011 Q&A from the New York Asian Film Festival with Tsui Hark and author Grady Hendrix.
* “The Edges Of Wuxia”- An 11 minute 2025 video essay by directors Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou about the wuxia genre and the place of “The Blade” within it.
* “Action Et Vérité”- A near hour long 2006 making of documentary about “The Blade” featuring cast and crew interviews.
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